The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12 - Ministère de l'éducation ...

PCBs on Arctic sea mammals, of sea lice on farmed and wild salmon, of E. coli on water
resources) [IP, PR, AI, C]
Sample issue: As a result of warmer winters and a policy of fire suppression, the
mountain pine beetle has decimated coniferous forests in British Columbia, killing
millions of lodgepole pines, the most widely harvested tree in the province. There are
fears that the beetle will expand into Alberta and could eventually harm pine forests
across the country.
Sample questions: How have mercury levels in fish affected the local fishing industry
in Northern Ontario? How has mange affected the fox population and people who
depend on trapping? What impact has increased bacteria levels in inland waterways had
on duck populations?
E2. Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication
E2. investigate methods scientists use to classify and monitor natural resources, and conduct
investigations using those methods
E2.1 use appropriate terminology related to natural resources and resource management,
including, but not limited to: population, bioamplification, sampling size, sustainability,
ore, mineral, tailings, and succession [C]
E2.2 identify and classify a variety of natural resources found in Canada, using appropriate
classification systems (e.g., dichotomous keys, botanical keys, tree identification guides,
wildlife guides, mineral tests) [PR, AI]
E2.3 investigate, through laboratory inquiry, field study, or simulations, some of the methods
and procedures used by scientists to monitor biodiversity in different environments (e.g.,
making plant tallies in forests; tagging or marking ground vegetation species in fields;
tagging and tracking wildlife with the global positioning system in remote areas; using
aquatic dip nets for sampling organisms in shallow ponds or streams) [PR]
E2.4 conduct an inventory of a local environment (e.g., a field, a pond), using appropriate
techniques and methods (e.g., plant tallies, tags, keys), and display the results
graphically [PR, C]
E3. Understanding Basic Concepts
E3. demonstrate an understanding of the sustainable use of resources and its relationship to
the biodiversity and sustainability of ecosystems
E3.1 describe the main types of natural resources found in Canada (e.g., forests, minerals,
fisheries, wildlife, water, fossil fuels)
E3.2 describe the characteristics and properties that make a natural resource viable for use
(e.g., the size, type, and location of trees; the value, location, and extraction and
processing costs of minerals), and explain the importance of managing natural resources
to ensure sustainability and biodiversity
E3.3 describe a variety of methods used to extract or harvest natural resources (e.g., drag nets,
strip mining, selective cutting of forests)
E3.4 explain how a variety of sampling techniques (e.g., quadrant sampling, catch-and-release,
core sampling to measure tree rings, counting annuli in scales to measure the age of fish)
are used to gather information about natural resources
144 Environmental Education, Grades 9−12: Scope and Sequence of Expectations, 2011